‘Britain should return India’s Kohinoor’, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said – I will definitely request King Charles III
New Delhi. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has advocated for the return of the historic Kohinoor diamond to India. During King Charles III’s visit to America, Mamdani made it clear that if he got a chance to meet him personally, he would appeal to the British monarch to hand over this precious diamond to India. This statement of Mamdani came in the press conference before a program organized in memory of the victims of September 11 attacks. Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla are in New York. He has arrived here on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. About 3 thousand people lost their lives in this attack. These included 67 British citizens.
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Speaking at the press conference, Mamdani said he would encourage Britain’s King Charles III to return the historic Kohinoor diamond to India. Although this issue was not part of the official agenda, if he had been given a chance to meet him personally, he would have definitely raised it. He also said that if I had had to talk to the king individually, I would probably have encouraged him to return the Kohinoor diamond.
Mamdani’s comments come amid India’s long-standing demands for the return of the diamond, which was taken from Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab in 1849 during the British colonial period. After that it became part of the British Crown Jewels and is currently kept in the Tower of London, London. This precious diamond also adorned the tiara of Queen Elizabeth The Queen. After this press conference, Mamdani met King Charles at the 9/11 memorial event. During this, there was a brief conversation between the two, but it is not clear whether the topic of Kohinoor came up in that brief discussion or not. Let us tell you that King Charles is on an official visit to America these days, where he is participating in various programs.
The British took Kohinoor from India to Britain
The treaty was signed after the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849. In this the British East India Company had captured the diamond. It was signed by Maharaja Dalip Singh. At that time he was only 10 years old. For this reason the treaty is considered controversial. At that time this diamond was of 186 carats. Today it is 105.6 carats. This diamond is part of the crown of ‘Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’. It is kept in the Tower of London.
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There is no exact information about where the Kohinoor diamond was extracted. Different sources say that it was extracted from the mines of Golconda or Kollur in the southern part of India. There are some myths regarding its early history. Documentary evidence of this is available from the Mughal period.
Kohinoor remained with Mughals also
In the sixteenth century, Babar took control of Delhi and Agra. After this the kings of Gwalior presented it to him. After Babar it went to Humayun. Later it remained in the treasury of Mughal emperors like Akbar, Jahangir and Shahjahan. It was decorated as the main gem on Shahjahan’s peacock throne.
Times changed, and the Mughal Empire weakened in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the year 1739, Persian invader Nadir Shah attacked Delhi. Looted the Mughal treasury. This also included the Kohinoor from the Peacock Throne. Passed on to the heirs. It fell into the hands of Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. Even in Afghanistan it remained with different rulers. Reached after Shah Shuja Durrani who was the Afghan ruler.
Kohinoor was special for Ranjit Singh
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Shah Shuja took refuge in Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. In return he was given the Kohinoor diamond. Maharaja Ranjit Singh gave special importance. Wore it as an ornament tied on his arm. After the death of Ranjit Singh, the fight for succession started in the Sikh Empire. Meanwhile, his minor son Maharaja Dalip Singh ascended the throne. In the year 1839, the British East India Company faced a tough competition in Punjab. In the treaty of 1849, it went to Britain and has been in their possession since then.
This is not the first discussion of returning it to India. Even before this, there have been talks from time to time about returning it. On this, Britain says that it has not been looted or forcibly snatched. It came to them under the post-war peace treaty.
What are Britain’s arguments?
It is also argued from the British side that the history of Kohinoor is quite controversial. Many countries like India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan claim ownership of it. Therefore returning it to any one country would be unfair to other claimants.
British officials say the Kohinoor is now part of British history and the heritage of the Empire. It attracts millions of tourists by being displayed in the Tower of London. If it were returned, it would set a dangerous precedent for the return of the Crown Jewels and other historical objects that have been in Britain for hundreds of years.
Why is Mamdani in favor of giving it to India?
Mamdani has links with South Asia and Africa. Mamdani’s mother Mira Nair was born in India. Later she went to America for higher education. He also spent part of his life in Uganda with his father Mahmoud Mamdani.
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